On April 3, 2025, a violent confrontation unfolded in Velda City, a municipality within St. Louis County, Missouri, claiming the life of 63-year-old Robert Lee Prince Jr. Officers from the Pagedale Police Department, which provides law enforcement services for the area, responded to a call at approximately 3:15 p.m. regarding a shooting in the 7000 block of Lexington Avenue.
Upon arrival at the scene, first responders discovered the male victim lying outside a residence, having sustained fatal gunshot wounds. Despite the arrival of emergency personnel, Prince was pronounced dead at the location.
The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was immediately activated to assist Pagedale investigators in solving the homicide. Detectives quickly focused their attention on 31-year-old Terrell T. Mays, an acquaintance of the victim who also resided in the apartment complex where the shooting occurred. According to court documents and witness accounts, the two men had engaged in a heated verbal argument in the parking lot just prior to the violence. Witnesses reported hearing the dispute followed by the distinct sound of a single gunshot. A witness familiar with Mays identified him by voice, and investigators later learned that Mays had fled the immediate area following the incident.
Mays returned to the scene hours later and was taken into custody by law enforcement. During the subsequent interrogation, he admitted to his involvement, demonstrating to detectives how he had held the firearm with both hands away from his body when he fired at Prince. He further confessed to hiding the weapon at his father’s house after the shooting. Police were able to retrieve the gun, and Mays confirmed it was the weapon used in the slaying. Following the investigation, the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office charged Mays with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and tampering with physical evidence. He was ordered held on a $200,000 cash-only bond.
Robert Prince was remembered by his community as a devoted family man and a man of faith. Born in St. Louis, he was a graduate of Central High School and later became an ordained Elder in the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. He was known for his love of singing and his deep dedication to his large family, which included his wife, children, and numerous grandchildren. At the time of his death, he had retired from a career in food production to run his own lawn care business.
